THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
A GRAPHIC STORY, , TERRIBLE RIDE WITH DEATH. (Dominion's Correspondent,) Ohakune, May 15. One of those unfortunate accidents that appear to be inseparable from railway operations occurred on the QhakuneTaihape section last night. Over £IO,OOO worth of damage has been occasioned to the railway rolling-stock, equipment, and permanent way. The disaster was attended by loss of life, the driver of the train, X. Walsh, of Taihape, having died at Hie Taihape hospital, whither he was conveyed as the result of injuries sustained. The fireman, McDonald, of Taihape, was also very seriously burned liy steam and scalding watev, which escaped when the engine overturned. The catastrophe was undoubtedly due to the freighter getting cut of control through some cause or other when running down the gradient between Waiouru and Mataroa, but this will be inquired into later by the De.part.ment. The details of the accident when pieced together show that the train was a soods made up of 32 vehicles, including the guard's van. It left Ohakune at about 5 o'clock. The weight of the load is estimated at between 400 and fIOO tons. Guard Batty was in charge of the train, which was headed by an X engine driven bv T. Walsh, with T. McDonald as fireman. From Ohakune to Waiouru is a distance of 10 miles up a p_rettv stiff grade, which was negotiated safely. The train then proceeded down hill, and no difficult'.- was experienced in pulling her up at Hihitahi, eight miles distant, to allow a crossing to be made with the Auckland-bound express. Neither was any trouble apprehended later when the train, loft Gardiner's Siding, two miles further on, but it was after the freighter left, the siding that anxious fears were entertained that all was not well. A TERRIFYING RIDE. Finding unusual conditions prevailing ns '-egards the speed which the train was making and the bumpiness of the van, Guard Batty, it is reported, apnlied the Westinghouse brake, but failed to get any response. The driver, being evidently of the same opinion, kept the whistle going erratically as an indication to the porter in charge of Ngaurukelm Siding station, which lie was fast, approaching, that the train had got away and could not be pulled up. The latter station was flashed by at, it is estimated, a speed of quite 100 miles an hour, and it was quite apparent that nothing hut a miracle could snve the lives of the men working the freighter or preventing the list of railway cntastTophies beinir further augmented. The npced down hill was greatly accelerated owing to the heaviness of the load and the pressure behind the engine, !>nd inst ns a curve was being taken the expected happened. The engine shot off ♦ lip track and immediately toppled over. The driver and fireman, who had remained at their posts during the thrilling ride with death, were hemmed in. Heavy jets of steam and scalding water liege n to escape, and further reduced their chances of escape. THE CASUALTIES. Fireman McDonald, though badly burned, managed to got out of the deathtrap, but Driver Walsh wrs evidently stunned and unable to extricate himself. As a matter of l'aet, he was so closed in that a hole had to be dug by the rescue party before he could be released. In the meantime, he had sustained such a shock, and had been so seriously burned, that his case was hopeless. Death intervened soon after his admission to the hospital. Guard Batty was seriously battered and knocked about, but in the course of a few seconds he recovered sufficiently to enable him to get up to the engine with the object of succouring his comrades. At that time the fireman was endeavoring to get to the creek to try and rerelieve himself of the agony caused by the severe burning he had received. The fireman's face was quite unrecognisable, and it was easily seen that he had been subjected to a very severe scalding before he escaped. RELIEF TRAINS. Claunsen, the porter in charge of Ngaurukelm siding, had just got home when the train streaked past, and rushing back to the station he and his assistant immediately flashed messages of the runaway to the head officials at Taihape and Ohakune. At both terminals arrangements for speedy relief were made. Drivers and firemen of specials were promptly at work, and gangs of men mustered at different intermediate stations in response to telephone calls to be picked up later by the special relief trains as they passed through to the scene of the disaster. The Taihape contingent, being nearer, reached the place at about 11 o'clock, and no time was lost in getting the driver out and rendering medical assistance to alleviate his and the fireman's Buffering. The Ohakune special, with a big gang of men, arrived at midnight, and were set to work clearing a track over the top of the cutting to allow the safe transit of passengers by the express train from one train to« the other, which had been drawn up on the other side of the wreckage. The freighter and its goods were piled up to a great height, and huge waggons were smashed to matcfevood. Evidence of the severity of the concussion is demonstrated by the conglomerate mass of timber, coal, butter boxes, wagon wheels, etc., which were thrown over the engine, and now coveri'a distance of several chains beyond. ;} _ Mr. traffic manager, Mr. Currie, inspector of permanent ways, and Mr. Jeffries, district engineer, are quite agreed that never in their respective connections with the railways had they witnessed such destructive effects. The engine, it is stated, cost over £3OOO to build, and the estimated value of the 28 wagons; destroyed is between £3OO and £4OO, each, so it will be apparent that the loss of rolling stock alone exceeds £IO,OOO. Then the permanent way has been badly torn up. Driver Walsh was very popular among the locomotive men and other members of the staff operating over the section. A big gang of men is now engaged in clearing away the debris, and shifts are to be kept continuously employed until uninterrupted ( traffic can be resumed. Fortunately, the weather is fine, and the nights are brightened by a moon, so that the anticipations of Departmental officers regarding the through connection being established within three days should be established.
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Taranaki Daily News, 17 May 1919, Page 5
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1,061THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT. Taranaki Daily News, 17 May 1919, Page 5
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